Ya know...We made a pretty cute kid.

This morning, baby JJ woke up for his usual 7am breakfast, and was asleep again by 8:30 or so.  John and I, instead of jumping up and scurrying about our daily activities, just laid there and watched the baby sleep.

Because, seriously, it doesn't get much cuter than that.

As I watched him sleep, I marveled over the tiny sighs, the translucent skin over his eyelids, the sleepy wiggles.  I am in awe of how totally in love I am with this child.  I thought no one could ever capture my heart more thoroughly than his father did.

Boys and girls, I was wrong.

No matter how frustrated I get when he won't stop crying (and I get frustrated)...

No matter how overwhelmed I feel when he's obviously bored and my sleep-deprived brain can't think of any more silly songs or funny faces...

No matter how badly I DON'T want to go downstairs to the laundry room with that bag of diapers... because then I have to climb back up...

No matter how often I dissolve into tears at 11 pm because he WILL NOT GO TO SLEEP...

I love this kid.

When he smiles... I have to smile back, no matter how upset I was ten seconds ago.

When he whimpers in his sleep, I check to make sure he isn't lying with his pacifier under his neck again, because how uncomfy must that be!

When John steps on the creaky spot instead of going around... OH does he get glared at.

When I see another little scratch on his face, I reach for the baby nail clippers and feel like a cruddy parent for not checking his nails, like, YESTERDAY.

When he makes just the right combination of baby noises and says "haaiiiii!!" just after his Daddy says "Hi, JJ!"... yes, I stare like my child has suddenly sprouted antlers, but It.  Is.  So.  Cool!!

When he cries because his tummy hurts or he's tired or hungry or startled ... I bounce and rock and sing and change and feed and do whatever I can think of to quiet him, because those little tears squeeze my heart.

When he is fussing on his way up from a nap, and he stops crying the second he hears my voice... Oh, Dear God, that is the best feeling in the whole wide world.

Except maybe for the one when he falls asleep in my arms, full, clean, and content listening to my voice as I sing his favorite song or read from another book he won't understand for months.

Shhhh... the baby's sleeping... my little love...